Hi ,

Most of us hold our Selves to a very high standard. Not just excellence, or doing our best - we want perfection. We evaluate ourselves by this marker, and often fall short. How can we not? This often leads us to feeling bad, and judging our Self as a “failure.” Over time, we become afraid – to take a risk, make a mistake, go beyond our comfort zone.  In essence, we become afraid to act. This is a real injustice – to our extraordinary Selves, to others, and to our larger communities.  We all have unique talents, dreams, personalities, perspectives, and ways of approaching life that could enhance our lives and the world.  Yet, we often let fear of not being perfect hold us back.

What if instead, we give our Selves permission to take imperfect action. To Be imperfect… as we grow.  And, if we make a mistake, the only self-talk we say is: “What can I learn from this?”  “How can I do it differently in the future and move closer to my goal?”  That’s it.  Not, “I shouldn’t have done it that way.” Or “Why did I do that?” Or “That was foolish.”

We can even get a little wild, and imagine giving our Selves credit for mustering up the courage, and just trying it!  Whatever the outcome, we did it! That’s to be celebrated.

What if we make it a practice to let go of worrying about the outcome, and just aim to do our best, with whatever knowledge and skill level we have now. 

How might the experience of taking action be different?  I imagine we might begin to like (even find enjoyment in) taking risks, and trying new things! And feel proud of our Selves, with increased confidence. 

This week, take one imperfect action (start small) with the aim of doing the best you can in the moment, with whatever energy level, attention, and motivation you have.  Let your Self explore, and perhaps flop around a bit as you act.  Then celebrate your progress rather than perfection!

Enjoy your imperfect week!
Dr. Dana